The man filed a complaint on Aug. 1 in the Orange County Circuit Court, alleging that the business failed to pay its employees the proper wage for all hours they worked.

According to the complaint, the man alleges that he and other similarly situated employees have suffered loss of earnings for allegedly not being paid 1.5 times their regular rate of pay for working more than 40 hours per week.

The man holds the business responsible for allegedly failing to determine if employees were properly compensated and for allegedly not keeping accurate time records.

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) provides for collective action lawsuits against employers for minimum wage and overtime pay violations. To proceed as a collective action under the FLSA, employees must be “similarly situated,” which refers to employees subject to a common policy, plan or design that fails to compensate employees for minimum wage or overtime pay.

Employees must “opt in” to the lawsuit, which means they must affirmatively sign a document stating they want to proceed collectively. Usually one or more employees will initiate the lawsuit on behalf of themselves and others similarly situated. When other employees are given notice of the lawsuit, they can decide how they would like to proceed.

If you have a wage dispute with your employer, our Florida Unpaid Wage & Overtime Lawyers at Whittel & Melton to protect your rights. We can help you file a collective or class action lawsuit to obtain unpaid bonuses, commissions, and vacation pay as well as overtime and minimum wage.

The man filed a complaint on June 27 in the Orange County Circuit Court, alleging that Fields Motorcars of Florida Inc. breached its duty of good faith and fair dealing.

According to the complaint, the man alleges that he suffered economic damages on Jan. 26, 2016 as a result of being terminated from his employment. He was allegedly fired due to a single complaint from a customer about his driving.

The man holds Fields Motorcars of Florida Inc. responsible for allegedly acting with malice and reckless disregard for his protected rights, and for allegedly terminated him in bad faith without reasonable grounds.

State and federal laws are set in place to prevent employers from discriminating against individuals or treating them unfairly in the workplace based on factors such as age, gender, race, national origin, and religion. Florida law is quite clear: mistreating workers is unfair and any type of discrimination is illegal. Employers who mistreat their workers can be subjected to various civil and sometimes even criminal punishments.

According to the woman’s complaint, she alleges she was employed as a buyer and produce manager from January 2014 until her forced resignation/constructive discharge on Jan. 7, 2016. She alleges that a co-worker attempt to grope her on Jan. 7, 2016, and that the co-worker was not reprimanded or investigated.

She is seeking reinstatement, unpaid wages, compensatory and punitive damages, attorney’s fees and costs of this action.

While some people claim to be “huggers” or “touchy-feely,” please understand that no one has a right to hug or touch you if you are not OK with it. Unwelcome touching of a sexual nature is classified as sexual harassment under the law.

If you have been subjected to inappropriate touching in the workplace, our Pinellas County Sexual Harassment Lawyers at Whittel & Melton can help you take action to make it stop and hold the responsible party accountable. We will help you assert your right and seek financial damages for the personal trauma as well as financial impact the sexual harassment endured has placed on you.

The division also says Disney didn’t pay workers for duties performed before their shifts started and after their shifts ended.

The agency says Disney cooperated with their investigation.

By law, employees must be rightfully compensated for the services and labor they provide to an employer. Even salaried workers may be entitled to overtime pay, depending on the circumstances. Our Florida Unpaid Wage & Overtime Lawyers at Whittel & Melton can help you understand if you can collect any wages that you believe are owed to you.

We can help if you are seeking back pay for any of the following:

Illegal wage deductions

Violation of minimum wage laws

Unpaid overtime, bonuses, and tips

Delay in paychecks

When it comes to unpaid wages, it is best to keep a detail record of what your employer owes you. Your employer should keep their own records of hours employees worked and their wages. If your employer cannot provide these records to dispute your claims, then a court is more likely to side with the employee.

According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission lawsuit, under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, Dillard’s permitted a sexually hostile work environment for men at its Fashion Square Mall store in Orlando, Fla.

The EEOC stated that a male supervisor engaged in verbal and physical sexual harassment of a male sales associate and a young dockworker when the supervisor exposed himself, propositioned the men, and made sexually explicit and derogatory comments.

The EEOC said that Dillard’s ignored complaints about the harasser.

“The EEOC will hold corporate America accountable for failing to prevent and correct employment discrimination,” said Commission Acting Chairman Stuart J. Ishimaru. “Sexual harassment charge filings by men have trended upward over the past decade. Employers must be more vigilant in ensuring that men are not subjected to sexually hostile workplaces.”

Under the terms of the EEOC consent decree resolving the case, in addition to paying $110,000 to the two male victims, the Dillard’s Fashion Square Mall store will distribute policies to the workforce on preventing sexual harassment and retaliation, conduct sexual harassment and anti-discrimination training for all employees, train employees who are responsible for investigating sexual harassment complaints, submit to monitoring throughout the decrees three-year duration and post a notice about the resolution of the case.

Furthermore, any future sexual harassment complaints will become part of the alleged harasser’s permanent work file.

“The Commission is pleased that the parties were able to reach an amicable resolution of this matter,” said EEOC Miami District Director Jacqueline H. McNair. “This resolution sends a strong message that employers must take appropriate corrective actions in response to harassment complaints.”

According to its web site, Little Rock, Ark.-based Dillard’s, Inc. “ranks among the nation’s largest fashion apparel and home furnishings retailers with annual revenues exceeding $6.9 billion. The Company operates approximately 315 Dillard’s locations spanning 29 states.”

The EEOC enforces federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. Further information about the EEOC is available on its web site at www.eeoc.gov.

Sexual harassment is defined as unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and all other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature that is made a condition of employment, the basis of an employment decision or that contributes to a hostile working environment.

While most forms of sexual discrimination are associated with heterosexual relationships, in recent years there has been a sharp increase in the number of same-sex harassment complaints. EEOC statistics reveal that the number of same-sex harassment charges has doubled in the last 5 years.

Tracy Morgan has filed a lawsuit against Walmart following the catastrophic trucking accident that left him severely injured and killed another passenger. The New Jersey accident happened in June and ended up making national headlines after a truck driver smashed a tractor trailer into the rear end of the comedian’s limousine.

The lawsuit was filed on July 10th in the U.S. District Court in New Jersey. Morgan, along with three other survivors filed the suit naming Walmart as the defendant. The complaint alleges that Walmart was negligent and responsible for the driver that crashed into the limousine.

According to a report released last month, the truck driver was traveling at 20 miles per hour above the speed limit on the New Jersey Turnpike when his tractor-trailer struck the rear of the Mercedes limousine van. Morgan suffered multiple fractures that required several surgeries. Morgan has since been released from the rehabilitation center and is continuing his recovery at home. The comedian will also have to endure aggressive outpatient treatment. The lawsuit names additional plaintiffs, including Morgan’s wife, who was eight months pregnant when the accident happened. The crash also killed 63-year-old comedian James McNair, who was better known by his stage name Jimmy Mack.

When a trucking accident occurs, it is very important for an independent investigation to be conducted in order to determine the exact cause of the accident and identify all responsible parties. A Florida Auto Accident Attorney at Whittel & Melton can uncover the facts of your car accident and pinpoint who is responsible.When a vehicle that is involved in an accident is owned by a company, such as Walmart, it is very important to consult with an attorney who can aggressively protect your rights. In cases like these, the driver can be considered an agent of the company, which means both can be held liable for accidents and injuries.

The lawsuit alleges that Walmart knew about or should have known that the 35-year-old Georgia driver had been awake for more than 24 consecutive hours at the time of the crash. In fact, federal trucking regulations restrict the number of hours a driver can work behind the wheel without sleep. Any federal trucking violation can be used as evidence for negligence in a personal injury or wrongful death claim. The initial investigation into Morgan’s crash revealed that the driver had not slept for nearly 24 hours before the crash occurred. The truck driver was actually arrested following the accident.

The state of New Jersey has found the truck driver criminally liable for the accident, charging him with one count of death by auto and four counts of assault by auto. The driver has entered a not guilty plea. If the driver is found guilty in the criminal case, the results can be used as evidence of negligence in the civil lawsuit.

As National Safety month continues throughout the month of June, week 3 focuses on being aware of your surroundings.

According to the National Safety Council’s “Injury Facts” for 2014, contact with objects and equipment was responsible for 15.1 percent of workplace deaths in 2011. This was also the second leading cause of missed days from work in that same year. These injuries can happen due to falling objects or mistakably being hit by a moving vehicle, like a forklift or car.

To help avoid injuries from contact with objects or equipment, the Florida Personal Injury Lawyers at Whittel & Melton recommend the following for situational attentiveness and workplace safety:

Do not operate any machinery or equipment that you are not trained to use.

Always exercise added caution when coming around corners or when you are near doorways.

Make sure all safety devices on equipment are in good working order before using them.

Exercise added caution when walking around corners and near doorways.

The NSC’s mission during the month of June is to prevent unintentional injury and death by drawing attention to safe practices. As part of this effort, our personal injury attorneys in Florida urge everyone to be attentive and conscious of their surroundings.

If you or a loved one has suffered an injury or death due to another person’s carelessness or negligence, contact a Florida Personal Injury Attorney at Whittel & Melton for help. Our personal injury law office handles all types of accident, injury and wrongful death cases.